Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of knee osteoarthritis progression over two years and correlation with clinical symptoms and radiologic changes.

Objective: To evaluate the change in osteoarthritic (OA) knee cartilage volume over a two-year period with the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to correlate the MRI changes with radiologic changes.

Methods: Thirty-two patients with symptomatic knee OA underwent MRI of the knee at baseline and at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Loss of cartilage volumes were computed and contrasted with changes in clinical variables for OA and with standardized semiflexed knee radiographs at baseline at 1 and 2 years.